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Constitution of the Western New York Honey Producers, Inc. Article I: Name The name of this organization shall be, Western New York Honey Producers, Incorporated. Article II: Purpose The purposes of this organization shall be to educate its members and the public in the business and hobby of beekeeping: to promote the most modern methods of marketing their products: to promote such measures as are of general interest in beekeeping and to protect the interests of beekeepers. Article III: Membership Section 1: Membership in this organization shall be limited to persons who are in sympathy with the aims and purposes of the association and are currently dues paying members of the organization. Section 2: Part 1: Classification: Membership in this organization shall be defined as (1) regular and (2) honorary Part 2: Voting: Each regular member shall be entitled to one vote in the general matters of the organization. Part 3: Qualification: (1) Regular - any person interested in apiculture and wishing to further the activities of this organization may become a member upon payment of annual dues. (2) Honorary- persons who have done outstanding work in the bee industry may be made honorary members by vote of the general membership. Regular membership is obtained paying the annual dues. Any member more than 90 days in arrears will be considered no longer a member. Section 3: The organization’s fiscal year begins January 1st and continues through to December 31st of the same year. Dues will be payable at the beginning of each calendar year. Section 4: All activities of the membership that are to be conducted as an activity of the Western New York Honey Producers, Inc., whether they are educational or entertainment must be approved by the Board of Trustees before such activity can commence. Article IV: Officers and Directors Section 1: The officers and directors of this organization shall be elected at the second general meeting of the calendar year. Officers shall be: President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. Officers shall be elected for a one year term. Also, two directors shall be elected each year for three year terms to maintain a total of six directors. The immediate past President will automatically become an additional Director until the next presidential change. Two alternate directors shall be elected for one year. Section 2: All officers are to be members of the organization and are to hold their offices until their successors are elected. Section 3: The officers and directors shall collectively form the Board of Trustees to conduct that business of the organization which may arise between regular meetings. Section 4: The members will elect an Audit Committee for a two year term at the second general meeting. The Audit Committee will consist of two members in good standing that are not currently Board members. The duties of these committee members will be to audit the financial records of the organization and to report to the membership at the next general meeting Section 5: Members of the Board of Trustees are required to attend at least fifty percent (50%) of the Board meetings. If they cannot meet that commitment they will be required to step aside as a Board member. It is hoped that they will continue to support the organization. Any dues paying member is allowed, and encouraged, to attend the Board meetings. Article V: Meetings Section 1: The organization shall hold at least four general meetings each year. The first general meeting of each year shall be held on a Saturday in February. Other meetings shall be held in March, August and November. A simple majority vote of the membership in attendance, or a quorum of the Board of Trustees may temporarily change any of these dates. Section 2: Special meetings may be called by the President or the Secretary of the organization. Section 3: Five members shall constitute a quorum for the Board of Trustees meeting. Article VI: Appropriations Section 1: Any appropriation of $50.00 or more must be approved by two officers. Any appropriation of $100.00 or more must be approved by a majority vote of the Board of Trustees and such appropriation must be recorded in the minutes of the Board of Trustee Meeting. Section 2: All checks drawn on the organization funds must be signed by the Treasurer or President. Article VII: Research and Development Section 1: A research and development fund has been established by the organization. It is named the Floyd Wigler Research and Development Fund, in memory of the time and dedication which our late President gave to our organization and the beekeeping industry. Section 2: The purpose of the Floyd Wigler Fund is to establish a fund separate from the organization working fund, in which the organization can sponsor and support the much needed research for our industry. The principal from this fund will not be used but the interest/dividends generated by the fund will be distributed to research projects which will directly benefit our industry or hobby. Section 3: The Board will be empowered to invest the principal and distribute interest/dividends from the fund. A two-thirds majority vote of the full Board of Trustees shall carry decisions on investments and disbursements. Article IX: Dissolution Section 1: No profit shall ever accrue to the benefit of any individuals from the assets, holdings or other transactions in which this organization may become involved. Section 2: In the event of dissolution of this organization, all of its debts shall be fully satisfied. None of the its assets or holdings shall be divided among the members or other individuals, but shall be irrevocably designated by majority vote of its members in good standing prior to dissolution to such other organizations that are in agreement with the letter and spirit of the Articles of this Constitution, and in conformity with the requirements of the United States Internal Revenue Service Code of 1954 (section 501-C). Article X: Amendments Section 1: Any section of this constitution, except Article IX, may be amended at any general meeting by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present. Section 2: Any amendment to this constitution must be read in its final form at two consecutive general meetings and shall be presented for vote immediately after its second reading. Article XI: Parliamentary Procedure Parliamentary procedure for this organization not covered in this constitution will be that set forth in Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised.
Amended March 2008 Amended February 2009 |
WNYHPA.ORG |